Attracting a loyal audience that wants to hear from you can be a challenge for an unknown brand. In the second part of a two-part interview, Behind the Brand host Bryan Elliott talks with marketing strategist Derek Halpern about how startups can build a reputation online from scratch.

Many new business owners follow a traditional approach and try to broadcast vast amounts of content to the largest audience possible. Halpern, founder of the marketing strategy website Social Triggers, suggests focusing on creating useful and niche knowledge, then reaching out to prolific players in related industries to help spread the word.

Finding the right candidate to forge a strategic marketing partnership can boost visibility of a new business to potential clients without the need for costly upfront investments, he says. Once the readership and reputation are established, small and midsize businesses can then use finely-targeted advertising to get the attention of potential new followers, and even take on major competitors. It also pays to be choosy in the social platforms used to market your idea, retaining control over the data whenever possible. A change to functionality or terms of service on an external provider has the potential to affect your investment, or worse, make it work against you.